Divorce Lawyer Job Description

Divorce lawyers specifically deal with the legal ending of a marriage between a couple who do not wish to continue their relationship any longer. Both the parties seeking termination of their marriage would require a skilled divorce lawyer who will be able to able to plead their cases.

Each side will need to validate and justify their reasons for annulment of the marriage contract and as to why living together as husband and wife is no longer feasible. It is the lawyers who on behalf of their clients bring forth the contentions and the evidence supporting their client's claim.

Evidence is a must in cases where the marriage has been broken on non mutual and hostile grounds. In which case, the lawyer will need to prove the validity of the complaints being filed. This is especially true in cases wherein there has been assault or violence being inflicted upon either of the spouse. Or wherein it's a case of infidelity, poverty or danger to the children by any one of the parties.

The job of any lawyer is not restricted to simply pleading the case in the court of law. It takes a lot more, such as a lot of research and in depth knowledge about the existent marital laws of the land. Knowledge about documentation and court procedures is also needed. Here are some of the duties of a divorce lawyer:

• Getting to interview the clients and extracting all the necessary information through them. The lawyer must know about the case in detail and he must not be judgmental. A divorce lawyer will need to be completely biased towards his client in order to make sure his client wins.

• Compiling all the necessary paperwork, and documentation of proof so as to be submitted to the court.
• Creating a written statement which states all the arguments, testimony, allegations and demands from the client.

• Formulating a motion or draft of evidence to prove the contentions in the case.
• Attending the sessions of the court as and when called upon, for the hearing date of the case.

• Determining the ratio in which the property is to be divided how the payments are to be made. At fault divorces, wherein one specific party is guilty of disrupting the marriage, will be required to pay more or will not receive any payment from the other spouse.

• Divorce lawyers also come into use, in mutually mediated divorces wherein the two parties have come to terms with the separation procedure and accept the terms and conditions relating to child care, their maintenance and support, alimony payment and property division.

• Lawyers are supposed to inform their clients about the various rights they enjoy in the eye of law and how they can utilize their rights in order to favor their own case.
• There are also cases, where the couple wish to seek a duration of legal separation. Here too divorce lawyers are needed to carry out the separation through court orders.

In order to become to a lawyer the fist requisite is to gain a bachelor's degree in any subject. After the completion of which, you must get accepted and enrolled into Law school. At the end of the course you will graduate with the Juris Doctorate degree. Thereafter you will need to clear the LSAT and the Bar exam of the state in which you wish to practice. Some amount of work experience will be needed so as to gain employment.

Since this is a family law domain, you may need to work as an intern with a law firm or lawyer for a few months or during vacations. This experience will help you learn about the nuances of the job and its extremely sensitive nature. You will be required to put in 50 hours as a Pro Bono divorce lawyer wherein you will be dealing with cases either free of cost or on discounted or reduced prices. This gives you the chance to develop goodwill for yourself and do social service at the same time.

The approximate salary depends and fluctuates a lot depending on the firm the lawyer represents as well as how well-known he is. However to estimate, an average divorce lawyer can make anywhere between $100,000-$150,000 in a year. This can be a very rewarding job both financially and emotionally as divorce lawyers can help end bad marriages and get people out of their misery. Also since divorces have become so common place these days, there are very less chances of not having enough work at hand.